In Cornwall, Froglife, a reptile and amphibian conservation charity, is working with partners to explore how the fragmentation of natural habitats affects adder populations.<\/p>\n
The project will explore how natural barriers, such as rivers and farmland, and human-made barriers, such as roads, can isolate adder populations.<\/p>\n
Froglife said Cornwall had a 7km (4.3 mile) land connection between the River Tamar and the sea, while a second river barrier isolated adder populations on West Penwith. The A30 road also separates the north and south of the county.<\/p>\n
A gourp spokesperson said: “This project will look at how Cornwall’s rivers and roads have shaped and separated adder populations.<\/p>\n
“Researchers will then compare this with other populations to understand how much this affects adders across Cornwall.<\/p>\n
“The findings could also help us understand the impact on adder populations across England. The project will evaluate the genetics of Cornish adders relative to English populations.”<\/p>\n
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